(May 28, 2026)

By Jorden Dye, Director and Jean Todea, Senior Communications Lead 

Spring is a time for plants to grow and tree buds to burst, and so, it turns out, is the public appetite for renewable energy in Alberta. New polling from Probe Research, commissioned by BRC-Canada, shows that support for wind and solar is far more widespread across the province than political discourse might suggest. Turns out, most Albertans are more than open to the energy transition; they are ready to welcome it in their backyards. 

The headline numbers

Two-thirds of Albertans (66%) say they want more renewable energy projects developed in or near their own communities. The exact same proportion believes the provincial government should be doing more to encourage emissions-free energy sources. Albertans are showing a strong, consistent appetite for clean energy, and that’s a story worth highlighting!

The support for renewable energy projects isn’t isolated to one group. These numbers are consistent across geography and income levels, highlighting a gap between Albertans' actual beliefs and what is publicly expressed in their name.

Who's driving the enthusiasm?

Across all demographic groups surveyed, a majority of Albertans support more renewable energy near their communities. As expected, support is strongest among younger Albertans: 75% of those aged 18 to 34, compared to 58% of those 55 and older. Despite differing levels of support by age, we continue to see majority support for renewable energy development across all age groups in Alberta. The renewable energy story isn’t limited to one group; it is truly an all-of-Alberta opportunity.  

The real story is what's happening in the homes and communities around Alberta. In rural Alberta, a majority (59%) of respondents supported developing more renewable energy projects in their communities. That number matters because grid-scale wind and solar projects, like the ones Alberta urgently needs, are not built in city centers. They're built in and close to rural and small-town Alberta – where the sun and the wind resources are most plentiful. This polling shows that, contrary to some outdated presumptions about rural attitudes, those communities are, for the most part, open to hosting more! The NIMBY (“not in my backyard”) narrative that often gets attached to rural Alberta simply doesn't hold up against the data.

What does this mean for the energy transition?

In fact, most Albertans are YIMBYs when it comes to renewables, and that's a meaningful distinction in a province where opposition to clean energy development is frequently treated as a given. Majorities across the province want to see more projects and more government support for the sector. Albertans understand that failing to build out the cheapest form of new energy generation is a missed opportunity. 

While support is seen across all ages, the strongest support for renewables is in younger Albertans. This is a long-term trend that is unlikely to reverse as the province moves through the energy transition and is expected to deepen instead.

The data is clear: Albertans want the clean energy transition to happen here, in their communities. 

Results: Alberta's Views on Climate and Energy

Media release: Two-thirds of Albertans want more renewable energy in their communities